Mechanical air device for expelling water or other liquids from the heads of torpedoes to aid in the recovery thereof after firing.



K. WHITING & J..B. HOWELL.

MECHANICAL AIBFDEVICE FOR EXPELLING WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS FROM THE HEADS 0P 7 TORPEDOBS T0 AID IN THE RECOVERY THEREOF AFTER FIRING.

APPLliGATION FILEDJULY 22, 1910. RENEWED OUT. 10, 1911.

1,023,90? Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

K; WH'ITING & J. B, HOWELL. MEOHAEIOAL AIR DEVICE FOR EXPELLING WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS FROM THE HEADS OF I TORPEDOES T0 AID IN THE RECOVERY THEREOF AFTER FIRING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1910. RENEWED OUT. 10. 1911. I

5.323590% Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

. 2 SHEELES-SHEET 2.

KENNE' '2;

iiIE-iI HiANlGiL- l ill? all whom it may coaoem:

-, it lmovvn that we, BiIENNE use 33. liov l "1 en Navy, an... cilia me have invcnteo certain new and uscits in llciecinmi Dcpellicg' Water or meet .t ads of Toi'pedoes to War The eof After Firing or which allowing s ecificatiou.

' Jilin the head oi a torlaced it will auto1nati- "Water orothei' liquid therecede ir no Water Where it can be re with ease.

inciples governing action of are as iolloivsz-ln certain con- V ctioiis of torpedoes for every below "the sur ace of the Water there is a resultant oressuee o1 peunds. Therefore, if a 'isioii placed in a cylinder opened a closed at the other be lowitc the Water the piston Wiil he forced cylinder, the pressure in pounds a are inch being equal to of the d ep at that the cylinder is below the surface Water, By attaching rod to this "piston the notion is transmitted to objects outside the cylinder, and by placing a be ind. the piston to resist the pressure of the Water this action is restricted to depth, since the piston would not be moved until the pressure of Water exceeds that, of the spring. The motion of the piston transmitted by the piston rod may be utilized tocpen a valve connected to flask containing air under pressure, or in any othci" suitable manner. By placing such piston, and air Within a receptacle, fitted will a discharge valve, and filled With "Water, We produce an automatic arrangement which will blow the Water out of receptacle when the air pressure is admit ted. If the surface of the piston is exposed to the pressure of the Water, and the receptacle described is lowered down into the Watc the piston will be forced in when it reaches a clepthsufficient to give a pressure :LGEEEDUES "I'D AID lI l' Ececification of etceis Patent.

.c, piicsiien filed 3111*" 2'22, 1810, Serial llo. 573,270. Received fic'tobel' 10, 1811.

-.ATER O3 EB, 1133B" rcoiues the resistance of "the spring ml the piston and the air pressure will be admitted from the air as l the Water v be discharged in much the uG manner a boiler discharges steam valve, than if the recepiecle Waite? than its iti" biovancy and to E cording-1y lit a torpe 1o arrangement or" lav piston, c s- 'l:. The piston exposed to the pressure or Water and tectecl by rubber diaphragm, a s1 hind the piston is adjustable for pres: sure corresponding to any desired depth. torpedo sinss below this depth the istou moves inward, the air valve opened iueclisuical means and 'ater :pelled Mom the head. The torpedo will now rise to the surface, although it had when fully charged for firing a negative buoyancy of about 50 pounds, But the head contained 125 pounds of water, arid when this water is expelled the torpedo has a positive buoyancy of 75 pounds.

forming a part of this specifica -011 in which like numerals designate like in all the "7ieivs :ligure l'is a sectional view shovviiig a Water expelling device placed in the head of the torpedo; Fig. 2 is a sectional "lEW of our locking device; Fig. 8 is a sectional View of our pressure regulating device; Fig. 4 is a detail View of the air flask and attached parts; Fig. 5 is a detail view oi the valve of said flask; and Fi 6 is a sectional view of the discharge valve and casingal l irejo'csents the head of a torpedo in which is located the air flask 2, secured to the boil: head 3 by the clamps a. 5 IBPIQ seats any suitable charging valve for the flask 2, and 6 represents any suitable valve for controlling the discharge of air from the fiasl: 2 through the ipe '4" into the head 1.

To the valve 6. is secured 'a trigger lever and to the flask is secured lug 9 prodcd its a trigger guide 10 U having the ressing against said trigger.

9 1S pivoted at 13 a tripping sea-1' 12', one end oi which engages e other ena 01 cylinder 16, provided with .the enlargement 17 carrying thepressure regulating spring 18, capable of adjustment by means of the stuffing box 19. The piston rod 14: is provided with the abutments 20 and 21 as shown, the latter being loose on the rod, so thatthe spring 18 controls the piston; and the piston isnormally flush with the outer skin of the torpedo head 1 as will be readily understood, and may if'desired be covered by a rubber diaphragm 22.

25 is our locking device consisting of a cylinder supported by the standard 26 attached to the clamps 4, in which fits the cylinder 27, having the piston 28, spring 29, and piston rod 30 engaging the sear holding piston rod 14. The piston rod 30 is con trolled by a bell crank 31 carried by the cyl inder 27, to which is pivoted-at one end the bell crank by means of the link 33. The other end of the bell crank 32 is pivoted at 35 to the stud 3st carried by the standard 26,

and the middle portion of said bell crank is pivoted at 36 to the link 37, which at 38 pivoted to the rod 39 carrying the water tripper 4-0.

-l5 represents a discharge valve casing containing a valve 4:6 controlled by a spring 47. The operation of our invention is as fol lows z--The spring 18 is adjusted to be operated at any desired pressure by screwing down the stnlling box 19, the valve trigger S is engaged with the toe of the sear or tripper 12, while the other end of the said trippcr is engaged with the piston rod 14. This engagement causes the spring 11 to be dis-- tended, and therefore to have a tendency to pull the trigger lever B upwardly in order to open the valve. The parts now being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the head 1 is attached to the torpedo and placed in the tube for firing. When the torpedo is fired, the dipper-.40 is forced inward, and the bell crank lever 31 is so moved as to permit the spring 29 to force the rod 30 out of cngagc ment with the piston rod 14. The scar 12 however, still remains in engagement with the piston rod 14 and therefore still locks the trigger lever S which controls the valve (3. Now whenever the torpedo sinks below a depth predetermined by'the pressure at which the regulating spring was set, the pistion 15 will be forced inwardly and thereby disengage the sear 12 from the piston rod lat. This action will release the trigger lever S and permit the spring 11 to move the same inwardly and thereby open the valve 6. Theair in the flask 2 now rushes through the pipe 7 and may place an initial pressure as high as 300 pounds to the square inch in-' side the head 1 of the torpedo. This pressure is previously determined, and is selected of a .sufiicientamount to cause the water in the torpedo head 1 to force open the discharge valve 46, whereupon the said water is discharged from the torpedo head. The water from the head being now discharged, the torpedo will rise to the surface and may be recovered.

It will thus be seen that our device provides means for recovering torpedoes whenever through anyiailure to function properly, they sink to a predetermined depth.

\Ve are aware that prior to our invention combinations of parts above disclosed for recovering torpedoes.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the arrangementof parts and details of construction without departing from the spirit of our invention, and therefore we do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

hat we claim is 1. In an automobile torpedo provided with a head, the combination of an air flask located in said head and provided with a passage discharging in said head; a valve controlling said passage; a trigger lever controlling said valve; means controlling said trigger lever to retain said valve closedfaddi tional means adapted to be actuated by pressure due to subniergence for releasing said first mentioned means; and a. discharge valve in said head adapted to permit water to escape thciefrom, substantially as dc" scribed. V

2. In an automobile torpedo provided with a head, the combination of an air flask located in said head and provided with a passage discharging in said head; a valve controlling said passage; a trigger lever controlling said valve; a scar coacting With said trigger lever to retain said valve closed; means adapted to be actuated by the pressure due to'submergencc for controlling said sear, comprising a piston, a piston rod, a spring for actuating said rod-and means for adjusting said spring; and a discharge valve in said head whereby thewhole is adapted to cause the sudden and complete discharge of water from said head, substantially as described.

3. In a torpedo provided witlia head, the

combination of an air. flask provided with a pipe dischar ing in said head; a valve controlling sai pipe; a trigger lever controlling said valve; :means comprising a hydrostatic pressure actuated device cont-rolling said trigger lever; means comprising a water tripping device controlling said pres:

sure device; and a discharge valve adapted to permit water under pressure to escape from said head, substantially as described.

l. In a torpedo provided with a head the combination of an air flask provided with a pipe discharging in said head; a valve controlling said pipe; a trigger lever controlling said valve; a spring for turning said lever and valve; a sear preventing said lever from turning; means comprising a hydrostaticpressure actuated device controlling said sear; means comprising a water tripping device controlling said pressure device; and a discharge valve adapted to permit water under pressure to escape from said head substantially as described.

5. In a torpedo provided with a head, the combination of an air flask provided with a pipe discharging in said head; a valve con trolling said pipe; a trigger lever controlling said valve; a spring for turning said lever and valve; a sear preventing said lever from turning; a hydrostatic pressure controlled device comprising a piston, piston rod, and spring controlling said sear; a locking device controlling said piston rod; a water tripping device comprising a bell crank lever for controlling said locking device; and a discharge valve in said head adapted to permit water under pressure to escape therefrom, substantially as described.

6. In a torpedo provided with a head, the combination of an air flask located in said head; a pipe discharging into said head andconnected to said air flask; a Valve controlling said pipe; a trigger lever controlling said valve; a trigger guide for said lever; a spring tending to turn said lever; a scar lever controlling said trigger lever and spring; a piston rod controlling said sear lever; a locking device comprising a piston and spring controlling said piston rod; a bell crank lever controlling said locking device; a reciprocating rod controlling said bell crank; a water tripper controlling said rod; a discharge valve located in said head; and a spring controlling said valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to the specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

K. WHITING.

J. B. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

H. H. MICHAEL, A. W. SEARS. 

